Kia reveals its 2030 roadmap, to have 14 battery electric models by 2027

Kia Corporation has revealed its roadmap to 2030 at its 2022 CEO Investor Day virtual event, with an aim become a leader in sustainable mobility space. The Korean carmaker is accelerating its transition towards EVs and plans to launch at least two battery electric vehicles (BEVs) per year starting 2023, building a full line-up of 14 BEVs by 2027.

The carmaker will begin by launching its flagship electric vehicle - the EV9 - in 2023. The Kia EV9 is a large SUV with a total length of around 5 meters and boasts a 0-100km/h acceleration in five seconds as well as a range of approximately 540km on a full charge. The EV is claimed to provide 100 km of driving range on just a six-minute of charging.

The Kia EV9 will also feature OTA (Over the Air) and FoD (Feature on Demand) services, allowing customers to selectively purchase software functions. Kia's BEV lineup will also include two electric pickup trucks – one will be a dedicated electric pickup truck while the other will be a strategic model for emerging markets. It will also launch an entry-level BEV model to its lineup.

Kia Corporation has revealed its 2030 roadmap to become a leader in sustainable mobility space.

Kia also announced its four key business targets for 2030 including acceleration of electrification and achieving annual sales of 1.2 million BEVs by 2030. The company also aims to reach four-million annual vehicle sales by 2030, including over 2 million eco-friendly models. Further, Kia plans to expand the application of connected car feature and autonomous driving technologies to all new vehicles. It aims to acquire top position in the global purpose-built vehicle (PBV) market by 2030.

As part of its strategic commitment, Kia will expand sales of its eco-friendly vehicles including BEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles through accelerating its electrification efforts. It aims to expand the proportion of eco-friendly cars from 17 percent of its global sales in 2022 to 52 percent in 2030.

In order to accommodate the expanding volume of EVs, role of Kia's individual production sites will evolve. While Korea will serve as a global hub for research, development, production and supply of EVs, its other global production sites will produce strategic EVs for each market.

From 2025, Kia's European factories will start producing small and medium-sized EVs while in the US, electric versions of these models will be produced locally from 2024. In China, Kia plans to introduce mid-size electric vehicle models from next year, and in India, it plans to produce entry and mid-size EV models from 2025.